Protector against insects for horses.



- Patented Mar. I3, I900.

C. WELLER &. G. F. LAGHENMYER. PROTECTOR AGAINST INSECTS FOR HORSES.

(Application filed July 27 1899.) N o M 0 d e I UNITED STATES PATENT@FricE.

CHARLES WELLER AND GEORGE F. LACHENMYER, OF MOUNT PULASKI, ILLINOIS.

PROTECTOR AGAINST INSECTS FOR HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,343, dated March13, 1900.

Application filed July 2'7, 1899.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, CHARLES WELLER and GEORGE F. LAOHENMYER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Mount Pulaski, in the county of Logan andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProtectors for Horses Against Flies; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as'will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to means for protecting anima1s,chiefiyhorses,against the attacks of bott-flies, the device being especiallyadapted for application to the jaws, which is the principal point ofattack and most susceptible to the sting.

The object of the invention is the provision of a device for the purposeaforesaid which will cause little or no inconvenience to the animal whenproperly adjusted and fitted to place and which will be effective,light, cheap, and withal not unsightly, and easy of application to anymake of head-gear.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire aknowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand the drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention arenecessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horses head, showing the protector inposition. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device detached. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the protector inverted.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The protector 1 is constructed of any suitable stout and light materialwhich will retain the shape given thereto when pressed into the requiredform. Sheet metal,stout leather, papier-mach, or any like compositionare designed as t-he best materials, since they fulfill Serial No.726,308. (No model.)

the necessary conditions. The device is of oblong and tapering form,corresponding approximately to the outline of the jaws of the animal orhorse. The protector is formed from a single blank of selected sheetmaterial,

the same being tapering in length and having its longitudinal edgeportions bent upwardly, as shown at 2, the corners being rounding andoutwardly deflected, as shown at 3, thereby obviating injurious contactwith the throat or mouth of the animal. In the event of sheet metalbeingthe material selected the upper edge of the bent portions 2 isoutwardly deflected, as shown at 4:, to provide an extendedbearing-surface and obviate injury to the cheeks or jaws of the animal.The upper or wider end of the protector is formed into a roll 5, whichcomes in contact with the throat and prevents injury or chafing thereof.The longitudinally-bent edge portions 2 terminate a short distance fromthe roll 5, thereby admitting of the end portion of the blank being bentinto the shape substantially as shown.

The bent edge portions 2 prevent lateral displacement of the protectorwhen fitted to the jaws of the animal and also serve to exclude fiiesand like insects from entering laterallyinto the space formed betweenthe body portion of the protector and the jaws of the animal. Theseparts 2 also serve as strengthing-fianges to prevent sagging of theprotector intermediate of its ends. The protector is fitted to the jawsof the animal and extends from the mouth to the throat and is attachedat its ends to the,head-gear or bridle in any convenient manner. Asshown, loops 6 are applied to opposite ends of the protector to receivethe nose-band and throat-latch of the bridle about as indicated inFig. 1. loops 6 are constructed of spring metal and consist of shortlengths of metallic strips bent intermediate of their ends, one endbeing rigidly attached to the protector, as indicated at 7, and theopposite end being disconnected from said protector and formed into aroll 8, which is designed to be grasped when it is required to move thefree end of the loop away from the body of the protector to admit of theinsertion of the strap into the loop when placing the device in positionor removing it from the jaws of the animal when not re- These quired forimmediate service. It will thus be seen that the protector can bereadily applied to or removed from the head of the animal withoutnecessitating the loosening of any of the straps or parts of the bridleor head-gear.

It is highly important that the device be rigid to enable the effectiveuse of the looseended fastenings 6 for retaining the throatlatch andchin-strap in position against casual displacement. The side flanges 2serve to stiffen the body longitudinally, besides form ing guards toprevent access of insects to the lower jaw of the animal. Theroll 5stififens the device transversely, prevents chafing of the animals neck,and houses the rear fastenings 6.

Vt hen the animal is bridled and it is required to place theprotector inposition, the smaller end thereof is thrust between the jaw of theanimal and the chin-strap and the loose ends of the lower fastenings 6moved away from the body to admit of the chin-strap passing thereunder.The upper end of the protector is now passed between the throat-latchand the jaw of the animal, and the loose ends of the upper fasteningsare forced from the body to admit of the throat-latch entering thelooped portions of the said fastenings. l

The protector in its entirety is light, cheap,

durable, effective for the purpose designed, capable of being quicklyplaced in position or removed without requiring the loosening of anysingle strap of the bridle, does not irritate the animal when worn, andis cooling.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- As animproved article of manufacture, an insect-protector to be applied tothe lower jaw of an animal and adapted to be removably attached to thebridle without requiring the loosening of a single strap, the sameconsisting of a rigid body having side flanges forming guards andstiffeners, a rear roll constitutin g a transverse stiffener andhousing, and a pair of loop-shaped spring-fastenings at the front and atthe rear of the said body and secured at their rear ends thereto andhaving their front ends loose and held against the body by springaction, and having the rear set of fastenings housed by the roll,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES WELLER. GEORGE F. LAGHENMYER.

Witnesses:

HENRY BANMANN, 4 R. S. HERSHEY.

